1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tension rods for supporting curtains, such as shower curtains, and more particularly, to a tension rod assembly including an adaptor that permits the use of equal size finials at the ends of the tension rod.
2. Description of Prior Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Tension rods for use in supporting shower curtains and/or shower curtain liners between the opposing walls in a bath or shower enclosure are well known in the art. The effective length of such tension rods is altered by fabricating the rod to include first and second substantially cylindrical rod sections. The second rod section is made hollow and has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first rod section. Accordingly, the first rod section can be telescopically received within the second rod section to a depth that causes the tension rod to have the desired effective length to press the ends of the rod against the opposing walls to suspend the rod. One rod is then rotated relative to the other so as to lock the rod sections in that relative position.
Often the walls of the tub or shower enclosure are made of material with a smooth surface and may even be tile with a very smooth surface. Usually, the ends of the tension rod are each provided with an end member that includes a pressure surface, such as a rubber tip, adapted to bear against the wall. The pressure surface substantially increases the friction between the rod end and the wall to reduce the amount of force that must be applied to the wall surface to prevent the rod end from moving relative to the wall because of the weight of the shower curtain and/or shower curtain liner suspended from the rod. The end member also serves to prevent damage to the wall because it is resilient and therefore can deform to a certain extent as it is pressed against the wall surface.
The end members are usually hollow and cylindrical. Each has a recess into which the end of one of the rod sections is adapted to be received. The end members are mounted on the rod ends by fitting them over the ends of the respective rod sections.
It is preferable that the end members take the form of specially constructed decorative finials that hide the pressure surface and, at the same time, substantially enhance the aesthetic appearance of the tension rod. When finials are employed as end members, the tension rod appears very similar to a non-tension curtain support rod designed to be hung on a wall by brackets or the like which are fastened permanently to the wall by screws.
The aesthetics of the situation require that the end members have the identical external appearance and hence be of the same size. However, as noted above, the rod sections must have different outer diameters such that one can be received within the other to adjust the effective length of the tension rod. This creates a problem for the manufacturer of the tension rod.
In order for the end members to have the identical external appearance and at the same time fit on rod sections that have different outer diameters, it is necessary to fabricate and employ end members for the tension rod that have different size recesses. That substantially increases the fabrication and assembly costs associated with the tension rod.
It is, therefore, a prime object of the present invention to provide a tension rod assembly that utilizes identical end members.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tension rod assembly that can be fabricated and assembled at reduced cost.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tension rod assembly that utilizes an adaptor to compensate for the different outer diameters of the tension rod sections such that identical end members can be employed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tension rod assembly that utilizes adapters with different sizes at each end of the tension rod to compensate for the different outer diameters of the tension rod sections such that identical end members can be employed.